*Draper, Lyman Copeland, ed. ''Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.'' Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1855–. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=629105&disp=Collections+of+the+State+Historical+Soci%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 977.5 B4wc; on film beginning with&nbsp;924580].) This series has the register of baptisms of the parish of St. Ignace de Michilimakinak, 1695–1821 (vol. 19), marriages 1725–1821 (vol. 18), and burials 1743–1806 (vol. 19).<br><!--{12085459943641} --><!--{12085459943642} -->

*Draper, Lyman Copeland, ed. ''Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.'' Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1855–. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=629105&disp=Collections+of+the+State+Historical+Soci%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 977.5 B4wc; on film beginning with&nbsp;924580].) This series has the register of baptisms of the parish of St. Ignace de Michilimakinak, 1695–1821 (vol. 19), marriages 1725–1821 (vol. 18), and burials 1743–1806 (vol. 19).<br><!--{12085459943641} --><!--{12085459943642} -->

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[[Category:Wisconsin]]

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[[Category:Wisconsin|Church]]

Revision as of 21:56, 7 November 2009

During the 1800s, two major denominations—the Catholics and the Lutherans—were widely represented in Wisconsin. This was largely due to the tremendous number of German, Polish, and Scandinavian immigrants who settled in the state. Methodists and Baptists were also represented but in much smaller numbers.

The records of many denominations have been preserved. They are especially valuable because often they cover time periods before the state began registration of vital statistics. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many church records from Wisconsin. Church records have also been deposited with the state historical society. Although some records of congregations have been gathered to major denominational repositories, the majority still remain with the local congregation.

The Family History Library has several Historical Records Survey inventories, completed in the 1940s, of the church archives in the state. These inventories may help you identify what records are available and where they may be located:

Historical Records Survey (Wisconsin). Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records in Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Records Survey, 1942. (Family History Library book 977.5 K23h; film 1036234 item 5.) This gives the exact years of the church registers.

The Family History Library has inventories that list the records available in the individual churches. The inventories were prepared by the Historical Records Survey between 1938 and 1942:

Historical Records Survey (Wisconsin). Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Historical Records Survey, 1941. (Family History Library book 977.5 K24h; film 1036193 item 12; fiche 6051165.) This directory lists churches by denomination, and at the end the churches are listed by county. Though it lists towns or cities which had churches, it does not give the year the registers began.

Lutheran

The above archives has microfilms of Evangelical Lutheran congregations for region nine, which includes Iowa, Illinois, upper Michigan, and Wisconsin. Many of their records can be borrowed for a small fee. (For a list of the church records for approximately 200 Wisconsin congregations in the collection, see Family History Library fiche 6330690-93.)

Methodist

For a history of the Methodist church in Wisconsin, see Pansey S. F. Bennett, History of Methodism in Wisconsin (Cincinnati, Ohio: Cranston & Stowe, 1980; Family History Library book 977.5 K2b; film 1036198 item 6.)

Roman Catholic

The church records of the parishes in the above diocese have been microfilmed to about 1920 and are available through the Family History Library. These records include parishes in about eleven counties in southeastern Wisconsin. The records are cataloged by the town where the parish is located.

The Official Catholic Directory. New Providence, New Jersey: P. J. Kenedy & Sons, in association with R. R. Bowker, annual. (Family History Library book 282.025 Of2.) This directory is available at many public libraries and has addresses and telephone numbers of Roman Catholic churches. The 1936 edition is on Family History Library fiche 6104166.

Drouin Collection 1621-1967 of French Canadian records indexed at Ancestry.com. This collection has over 15 million entries for French Canadian genealogical and vital records. Be sure to search for spelling variations of the ancestor's name. This index includes Quebec notarial, vital, and church records, Acadian Catholic records, Ontario French Catholic records, early French Catholic records in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin.

The early Roman Catholic mission records, 1695–1821, for the mission of St. Ignace of Michilimackinac contain information about many of the early traders in what is now Wisconsin and are published in:

Draper, Lyman Copeland, ed. Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1855–. (Family History Library book 977.5 B4wc; on film beginning with 924580.) This series has the register of baptisms of the parish of St. Ignace de Michilimakinak, 1695–1821 (vol. 19), marriages 1725–1821 (vol. 18), and burials 1743–1806 (vol. 19).